Sign element and means for mounting the same



March 23, 1943. E WAGNER ETAL SIGN ELEMENT AND MEANS FOR 4MOUNTING THE SAME Filed Dec. l1. 1939 atenied er. 23, 343

SEGN ELEBENT lf .e ING T S Erwin Wagner, Berwyn, and Walter S. Wagner and Ralph J. Jordan, Chicago, Ill., assignox's to Wagner Sign Service, Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 11, 1939, Serial No. 308,544

9 Claims.

This invention relates to display signs in general, and is specically concerned with a process for mounting bodies, for example, sign elements, such as letters, gures or characters, for display, and with a new letter and sign resulting from the application of the process. The letters in this new sign are securely but removably mounted on a suitable background Without any exteriorly visible support. The inventibn is espemetal, glass, tiles, porcelain or vthe like, but these adhesives require considerable time for setting. and therefore auxiliary means would be required for holding in place the body or object, forexample, a display letter, until the cement is sufficiently hardened. The time required may Abe twenty-four hours or more. It will be realized at once that such means would call for the provision of expensive and ponderous auxiliary cially useful when it is desired to secure sign 10 mounting means. The necessity of holding each elements on or against a display structure havsign element -securely in place after putting it ing a smooth surface, for example, L a polished in a predetermined position, by means of auxilmetal surface, or on glass, porcelain, tiles or the iary mounting provisions, would also interfere 11kg with and would increase the diiiiculties in form- The invention is described herein, by way 0f 15 ing the assemblage of numerous letters and charexample, in connection with so-called silhouette acters in a predetermined sequence so as to spell letters, that is, with letters 'or characters of th-e out a desired message. type disclosed in United States Patent 2,048,040 These and other drawbacks are avoided in acor 2,119,430. The attachment of such letters- Cordance with the present invention, by the pro- (the term is used herein in a broad sense, comvision of specially constructed mounting means prehendin-g generally sign elements, including figures, characters, in short, bodies or objects either individually or in combnation)-to smooth or polished surfaces resulting from the use of modern building materials, including tiles, glass bricks, porcelain finished or metal plated walls, or to similarly smooth surfaces, or to display panels designed to harmonize with or simulate such materials, presents numerous diiiiculties and problems. The attachment of the letters should be secure against atmospheric inuences, particularly in connection with open air display, as well as against unauthorized removal or accidental displacement, and the process used for effecting the attachment should leave no permanent defacing mark on the surface of the display structure and should not disgure or permanent- 1y injure it.

A permanent attachment that may be effected, for example, by the provision of mounting posts directly secured to and projecting from the display surface or piercing or projecting through the material thereof, is unsuitable for the present purposes in view of the above noted requirements. A temporary attachment may be effected in accordance with known processes by the use of suction cups. Such mounting is, however, quite insecure even if the suction cups are wetted, oiled, or lmed with glycerine because all wetting substances that are known for such purpose deteriorate and the adhesion and attachment are lost in a relatively short time. A more or less permanent attachment may be obtained by the use of adhesive cementitious substances available for fastening solid or semi-solid materials to on a sign element or letter, including swivel journalled mounting members such as disks or buttons for relatively permanent attachment to the smooth surface of a structure forming the display background, through the medium of a suitable cement, and by the provision of auxiliary mounting means, for example, suction cups, connected with the letter for relatively temporary attachment thereof to such a smooth surface, until the adhesive cement securing the mounting members has set suciently to take over the function of holding the letter in place. The suction cups may be removably connected with or may be part of the letter sign or letter unit or sign element. Each unit may be easily removed by detaching the swivel mountings connecting with the mounting members which are cemented to the display surface, and these members may be separately removed by the use of a suitable solvent effective to the cement. The assemblage of sign elements in any desired combination to form a sign or message of uniform and neat appearance can thus be speedily accomplished.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawing. In this drawing,

Fig.. 1 shows part of the surface of a display structure, which is assumed to be a glass panel, with a letter attached thereto;

Fig. 2 represents the 1, seen from the rear;

Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, through the letter shown in Figs. 1 and 2, taken along the line 3 3, it being assumed thatv the letter assemblage shown in Fig.

tcrial.

y Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, there ls shown part of a. structure Il forming the display background of the sign. This structure is assumed to be a transparent glass panel. It is understood that a glass panel is shown and mentioned herein onlyfor the lpurpose of convenient description. The letter N, represented in the drawing, is chosen as an example to illustrate the invention. Its structure is channelshaped with peripheral flanges, as indicated by the reference numerals I2-I3 and I4-I5, and it may be made of any desirable and suitable matemporary mountings such as I6 and I`I which may be made in the form of suction cups; and second, semi-permanenter permanent mountings which may be made in the form of removable or detachable mounting members I8 and I9. These mounting members are provided with a cavity into which is removably fitted a mushroom-shaped tubular cap 24, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The semi-permanent or .permanent mounting members I8-I9 are provided with a suitable cement for substantially permanent attachment to the display surfaces; the temporary mountings II-I'I are used for the purpose of holding the letter in position on the display surface only until the cement on the mounting members hardens or sets suiciently to take over the functionof holding the sign element' in place. After this is accomplished, the suction' cups may be removed. .They are shown in the drawing attached to the letter within its channel structure, but it is clear that they may be removably attached, for example, alongside the letter, by means of suitable brackets.

Each of the suction cups I6 and I1 may be attached to the lletter or-sign element, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4: The screw stud 20 may be riveted, welded, soldered or threaded to the letter so as to project from the rear thereof, as shown. The suction cup is of the usual form, provided with a metal insert 2| for threaded attachment to the screw stud 20. The outside of the sign element, that is the visual surface thereof. is suitably finished after the screw studs 20 are put in place, so as to present a uniform appearance, without showing the screws. The mounting members I8 and I9 may be made of wood. metal, porcelain, synthetic material or any other suitable substance. The cavity 22 provided in the mounting member has a restricted opening. Studs such as 23 are attached to the letter, by riveting, welding or soldering, or by threaded connection, the studs projecting to the rear of the letters just like the screw studs 2I for the attachment of the suction cups I6. Secured to each of ltl'iese studs 23 is a mushroomshaped tubular rubber cap 24. The enlarged head of the cap is positioned within the cavity 22. The assemblage of the letter before attachment to the display surface is apparent from Fig. 3. The suction cups Il6 and I1 are in loose or inoperative position, and the mounting members I8 and I9 are loose on the heads of the mushroom-shaped caps 24, each member being movable on its holder as on a swivel Joint.

The attachment of the sign element or letter There are two types of mountings: first,

to the smooth or polished display surface is accomplished as follows: The surfaces of the mounting members I8 and. I8 are provided with the adhesive cement which is in a more or less liquid condition and is obtainable on the market. No particulartype of cement is mentioned herein, because many such cements are known, each serving its particular purpose in connection with certain materials. It has been said before that the mounting members I8 and I8 may be made of wood or metal or vitreous materials or of synthetic substances such as Bakelite or the like. and accordingly a suitable cement for the at tachment of any of these materials to surfaces. such as glass, polished metal, tiles or the like. will be chosen in accordance with requirements. The letter isl then aligned in the position in which it should appear on the base or back-- ground, and is then gently pressed against the display surface. The suction cups I8-I'l spread on and against the display surface and take the shape indicated in Fig. 4. These cups may be wetted with any desirable substance if it is so desired or necessary. The mounting members I8-I9 contact the surface of the display base or background and will adhere to it due to the adhesive provided thereon, which is shown in Fig. 4 at 25. The sign element is' now in its proper position. It is held in place by the action of the suction cups I8 and I1 until the cement 25 provided on each of the mounting members I8 and I9 has sufficiently hardened. Deterioration in the action of the suction cups will do no harm as the sign element will be practically permanently fastened by the mounting members I8 and I9. A perfect alignment is accomplished due to the swivel action of the mounting members I8 and I8 on the heads of the mushroomshaped caps or holder members 24. The clearance between the bottom of the cavity 22 and the surface of the head of the cap 24 is somewhat exaggerated in the drawing, Fig. 3. It is sufflcient that the cavity 22 is somewhat larger than the head of the corresponding cap so as to secure a swivel action to obtain alignment of the sign element substantially in parallel with the display surface. The caps 24 are resilient and exert a pulling action opposing the action of the suction cups, thereby effecting the proper alignment of the letters.

The removal of a sign elementl secured in this manner is as simple as its mounting. The letter is simply pulled off from the display surface, pulling the mushroom-shaped caps 24 out from the cavities of the mounting members I8 and I9, the mounting members remaining attached to the display surface. 'Ihe suction cups, if they show any adhesion at the time the letter ls to be removed, can be easily detached by the insertion of a screwdriver or knife to release the vacuum action. The mounting members may be removed from the base or background by means of suitable solvents.

Changes may be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what is believed to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent of the United States.

We claim:

1. An object for attachment to a structure having a smooth surface, comprising, in combination, a body made of relatively solid material, a disk-like mounting member secured to and projecting from the rear of said body for receiving a film of cement for adhesion to said surface, and a suction cup .for holding said body in position on said surface until the cementing of said disk-like mounting member is eiected.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, together with means for removably securing said disk-like mounting member on said body.

3. The combination dened in claim 1, together with means for removably securing said disklike mounting member on said body, said means comprising a rigid stud projecting from the rear of said body, and a tubular member removably secured to said stud and removably holding said disk-like mounting member.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, together with means for removably securing said disk-like mounting member on said body, said means comprising a stud projecting from the rear of said body, and a relatively exible tubular member removably secured to said stud and removably holding said disk-like mounting member.

5. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said disk-like mounting member is provided with a cavity, together with means for removably securing said disk-like mountingmember on said body, said means comprising a relatively rigid stud projecting from the rear of said body, a relatively flexible tubular member removably secured to said' stud, and an enlargement on said tubular member for removable insertion into the cavity in said disk-like mounting member.

6. In a display sign, means forming a display surface, a character for display against said surface, and a device for removably mounting said character comprising a disk-like member cemented to said surface and projecting therefrom,

a cavity in said disk-like member having a substantially unbroken inner wall, and holding means secured to said character at the rear thereof for removable solely frictional swivel-like engagement with said cavity.

7. In a display sign, means forming a display surface, a character for display against said surface, and a device for removably mounting said character comprising a disk-like member cemented to said surface and projecting therefrom, a cavity in said disk-like member having a substantially unbroken inner wall, and a relatively flexible member secured to said character at the rear thereof and' provided with an enlargement for insertion into and for swivel-like solely frictional engagement with said cavity in said disklike member.

8. The combination and structure dened in claim 7, wherein a tubular element constitutes said relatively flexible member,-and means for removably securing said exible member in the rear of said character.

9. The combination and structure defined in claim 7, wherein said disk-like member is cemented to said surface solely in surface engagement therewith, together with a tubular element constituting said relatively flexible member, and means attached to and projecting from the rear of said character for removably holding said tubular flexible member.

ERWIN WAGNER. WALTER S. WAGNER. RALPH J. JORDAN 

